Village ready for 39th Annual Riverfest

JONESVILLE — As the weekend approaches, the Village of Jonesville is preparing for the 39th Annual Riverfest.

A wide variety of events new and old will fill downtown Jonesville and the surrounding area throughout the weekend.

Dana Kyser, a Riverfest committee member, said the festival features all of the old favorites and several new events.

This year’s festival will kick off with the Daniel Parker Memorial Triathlon at 6 p.m. Friday. The triathlon is a 9.3-mile course featuring a 2.3-mile run, 5-mile bike ride and 2-mile canoe portion. Registration is from 4-5:30 p.m.

Kyser said the route for this year’s race has been changed to keep runners and bike riders off U.S. 12 and M-99 for safety.

Canoe and kayak races on the Saint Joseph River will take place on Saturday and Sunday with a variety of races of different lengths. There are races from 2 miles to 9 miles. The longest race begins at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Sandy Beach on Lake Baw Beese. The Joe Dillenger Memorial Open Class will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Hillsdale American Legion.

For more information on the races contact Kyser at 320-1403 or Lenore Spahr at 398-3544. Participants can register prior to each event at the finish line at River Park.

Kyser said committee members and volunteers have been working over the past couple of weeks to clean the river. Over 40 people have helped with the clean-up. Trees and limbs have been removed from the river and trash has been picked up along the banks.

She said those competing should see a clean river.

The Grosvenor House is featuring several events during the festival. Civil War re-enactors will begin setting up camp on Friday night. The 7th Michigan Infantry Company B and the Sons of Union Vets of the Civil War Austin Blair Camp out of Jackson will take part. There will also be a frontiersman rendezvous camp at the museum.

The Grosvenor House will feature one of the new events to the festival — an amateur dog show at 2 p.m. Sunday. There is a $5 entry fee for the show and prizes will be awarded.

There will be a car and bike show at G. Carl Fast Park sponsored by ABATE from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The park will feature another new event from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday an antique tractor show.

There will be a Wigs 4 Kids of Michigan Cut-a-Thon at the park pavillion from 1-4 p.m. Sunday sponsored by Shear Magic and Onesta. Wigs 4 Kids is a nonprofit organization which provides wigs at no cost for children who have lost their hair. People having 7 inches of hair or more can donate to the organization. Hair cannot be permed or colored and must be washed and combed. Seven inches of hair is enough to make a wig for boys or girls wishing to wear their hair short.

Anyone donating can do so in memory of a loved one. Those donating will receive a thank-you card. There is no charge to donate. Onesta will be sponsoring a gift basket that will be given away at the event.

The festival will come to a close at 4 p.m. Sunday with the Domestic Harmony Duck Derby. Tickets for the duck derby will be on sale during the festival, will all proceeds benefiting Domestic Harmony.